MALAWI

Two Projects in Malawi

Malawi is a land-locked country in Central Africa. The country is known as the Warm Heart of Africa due to its friendly people. Although it has known political stability, the country is very poor due to its lack of natural  and mineral resources. A large percentage of the population are subsistence farmers.

Christianity is the majority religion (74% of the population), brought into the country by David Livingstone in the 19th century.

1. Lambya (80,000 speakers)

The Lambya translation office is located in Chitipa, northern Malawi. The project was started in 2004 by John (and Lydia) Kadalinga, a former Sena Bible translator. The translation team have completed the New Testament, which was launched in 2016.

The team is making good progress translating the Old Testament. Eighty percent of the OT (Genesis to the end of Isaiah) has been consultant checked and approved for publishing. The team is nearing completion of the first draft of the OT.

Rev Du Toit has been the main consultant checking with the team (Robert, John S., John K. and Godwin from right to left in photo.)

 

Lambya literacy

We currently have 40 literacy centres among the Lambya people where adults are taught to read the write. Many of them have successfully been taught to read the Lambya scriptures. 

Currently Cephas and Lidas coordinate the literacy classes. Maxwell helped start the literacy work in Chitipa, preparing the primers in partnership with Literacy Evangelism International,and he trained the first teachers in 2007.  

2. Sena (300,000 speakers in Malawi)

The Sena Bible was published in 2006 by Bible Society of Malawi. Barry and Julia lived in Malawi (1991 to 2001) and trained the translators John, Paul and Maxwell, who are pictured here at the launching ceremony. The whole Bible was translated and consultant approved in a record ten years.

Sena literacy
We currently have over 100 literacy centres among the Sena people managed by Maxwell, Arnold, Fred (from right to left in photo) and Fanuel. Primers were also prepared in partnership with Literacy Evangelism International.